Intermittent strip feed mechanism and the like



B. STECHBART ET AL 2,168,054

Aug. 1, 1939.

INTERMITTENT STRIP FEED MECHANISM AND THE LIKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 OriginalFiled Feb. 2, 1934 fizz 720 J/ecjar/d? $33106 afiz'izes%e.

8- 1, 1939- a. STECHBART ET AL. .168.05

INTERMITTENT STRIP FEED MECHANISM AND THE LIKE Original Filed Feb. 2,1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Aug. 1, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEBruno Stechbart and George A. Bruelke, Chicago, Ill., assignors to TheBell & Howell Company. Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Originalapplication February 2, 1834, Serial No.

Divided and this application December 1, 1937. Serial No. 177,528

ICIaim.

Our invention relates particularly to motion picture apparatus althoughnot limited to this use alone.

The general feature of our invention relates to the provision of novel,relatively simple and effective intermittent strip feed mechanism whichis particularly adapted-for the feeding of motion picture film stripsand more particularly for the feeding of motion picture film strips inmotion picture apparatus described in our U. S. patent application,Serial No. 709,468, filed February 2, 1934, for improvement in Motionpicture camera and the like, of which this application is a division.

With this feature in view our invention consists in certain features ofnovelty in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts bywhich the said feature and certain other features are effected, all asfully described with reference to the accompanying drawings and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claim.

In the said drawings- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a partial sideelevation of a motion picture camera embodying our invention and havingthe cover or door of the camera casing removed;

Figure 2 is a partial sectional view in elevation similar to Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an intermediate sectional view taken in a horizontal plane;

Figure 4 is a partial sectional view substan tially on the line 4--4 ofFigure 2; and

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the intermittent film feed shuttle of ourinvention.

Like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings, l designates a casing which is open at oneside, and said open side is closed by a cover 2 releasably secured tothe casing by a locking mechanism 3. See Figures 1, 2 and 3.

A frame plate 5 is secured in the casing intermediate and in parallelismwith the sides thereof by headed screws 6. See Figures 1- and 3.

The portion of the enclosure of the casing adjacent the open sidethereof forms the film chamber of the casing, and vertically spacedrevoluble film reels H are removably mounted within the film chamber ina suitable manner.

Driving mechanism is arranged in the casing and includes a forwardly andrearwardly extending shaft 4| which is mounted for rotation in suitablebearings on the back wall of the casing and the front wall of the casingwhich is formed by a detachable front piece 42.

A photographic lens 52 is mounted in an aperture through the front piece42 intermediate the top and bottom of the casing I and is disposed on anaxis alined with the film chamber, and disposed in the film chamber atthe forward intermediate portion thereof is an exposure aperturedintermittent film feed guide comprising a front face guide plate 53provided with an exposure aperture 54 alined with the lens and a rearguide device consisting of a rear face guide member 55 mounted on abracket 56 and yieldably urged forwardly to engage a film 51 between itand the plate 53 by a spring 58', the bracket 56 being pivoted on adownwardly disposed transverse stud 59 mounted on the frame plate 5 andheld in forward film retaining position by a notched spring arm 6iengaging a stud 62 on the upper end of the bracket which is releasableto permit rearward tilting of the bracket 56 carrying the rear guidemember 55 for the lacing of the film. See Figures 1 and 3.

A segmental light shutter 63 is secured on the forward portion of theshaft 4| in aplane between the front piece 42 and the front guide plate53 and serves to intermittently cut off the exposure light at theexposure aperture for the exposure of successive sections of the film inthe guide as it is fed therethrough by an intermittent film feedingmechanism now to be described. See Figures 2 and 3.

An elongated feed shuttle 64 of flat form is provided with acorrespondingly elongated aperture 65 providing parallel opposingsurfaces 66 extending longitudinally thereof. See Figures 3, 4 and 5.The shuttle is provided with a bearing aperture 5'! at one end which ispivotally engaged on an eccentric stud 68 disposed on a forwardly andrearwardly extending axis and mounted in a bored boss 69 at the insideof the closed side of the casing i intermediate the top and bottomthereof, a headed and shouldered screw ll screwthreaded into the boss 69serving to retain the aperture 61 engaged on the stud 68.

The shuttle 64 is so mounted for pivotal movement in its plane and isdisposed in a vertical plane between the shutter 63 and the front guideplate 53 and is arranged transversely. The other end of the shuttle isprovided with a rearwardly projecting ratchet tooth I2 projectingthrough a vertical slot I3 in the guide plate 53 for engagement withmarginal perforations 14 of the film 51 in the guide for intermittentlyfeeding the film with reciprocation of the shuttle, the ratchet tooth Ifeffecting downward feeding movement of the filmwith downward movement ofthe shuttle and the tooth disengaging from the engaged perforation andsliding over the film on the upward movement of the shuttle forengagement with another perforation, the shuttle flexing normal to itsplane for engaging and disengaging the film perforations.

In order that the shuttle N flexes normal to its plane without unduestrain, it is reduced normal to the plane thereof adjacent its pivotalaxis, as designated at 15 in Figures 4 and 5.

The shaft 4! extends through the aperture 65 of the shuttle 64 and has aradial cam 16 formed thereon which oppositely engages the opposingsurfaces 68 of the aperture 65 to reciprocate the shuttle with rotationof the shaft, this cam being timed with the shutter 83 so that themovement periods of the fllm take place when the exposure aperture 54 iscovered by the shutter.

A pilot member 71 is pivoted on a transverse axis, as designated at 18,and extends downwardly therefrom and is provided at its lower end with arearwardly projecting pilot tooth 19 which in the rearward position ofthe member ll projects through anaperture 80 through the front guideplate and engages an aperture ll of the film for registering the filmduring the rest or exposure periods in the feeding movement thereof. SeeFigures 2 and 4.

The member I7 is provided at its intermediate portion with a partiallycircular portion 8| which is engaged in the slot of a drum cam 82 formedon the shaft 4|, so that the member 71 is reciprocated in timed relationwith the shuttle S4 to alternate therewith in the control of the film byalternate engagement with perforations thereof, so that the film is atall times under positive control in the exposure guide.

The film in the camera is fed from the upper reel ll over a stud 83mounted on the frame plate 6 above the film guide and downwardly to theupper end of the film guide and is fed from the lower end of the filmguide to the lower reel upon which it is wound as usual, the film beingguided to the lower reel by a guide formation 84 on the lower end of thebracket 56. See Figure 1.

Having thus described our invention, we do not wish to be limited to theprecise details described as changes may be readily made withoutdeparting from the spirit of our invention, but having thus'describedour invention, we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patentthe following:

An intermittent feed mechanism including a ratchet toothed shuttlepivoted for feeding movement in a plane corresponding with that of aperforated strip fed thereby and having a portion adjacent the pivotalaxis thereof reduced in cross section for the flexing thereof normal tosaid plane to engage and disengage perforations of the strip, arevoluble'member operative upon said shuttle to oscillate the same insaid plane, a toothed pilot member pivoted for strip perforationengaging and disengaging movement, and means fixed with said revolublemember for actuating said pilot member in timed relation with saidshuttle.

BRUNG STECHBART. GEORGE A. BRUESKE.

